Node.js in Action

Appendix B. Debugging Node

During development, and especially while learning a new language or framework, debugging tools and techniques can be helpful. In this appendix, you’ll learn a number of ways to figure out exactly what’s going on with your Node application code.

B.1. Analyzing code with JSHint

Syntax- and scope-related errors are a common pitfall of development. The first line of defense, when attempting to determine the root of an application problem, is to look at the code. If you look at the source code, however, and don’t immediately see a problem, another thing worth doing is running a utility to check your source code for problems.

JSHint is one such utility. It can alert you to show-stopping errors, such as functions called ...